Top English trainer William Haggas is chasing a third N.E. Manion Cup in five years with Post Impressionist

William Haggas has made a habit of winning Sydney Autumn Carnival feature races over the last five years and can continue the trend with Post Impressionist at Rosehill on Saturday.

English training genius William Haggas won’t be in Sydney this autumn but he’s still set to make his presence felt with his sole runner, Post Impressionist.

Emerging stayer Post Impressionist will race in the famous colours of Hall of Fame owner Lloyd Williams when he lines up in the Group 3 $250,000 N.E. Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Haggas, who has been such a dominant force at Sydney autumn carnivals in recent years, revealed he is unable to make the trip down under for The Championships at Royal Randwick next month.

“I won’t be coming down this year,” Haggas said.

“We only have the one horse, Post Impressionist, in Sydney and we have plenty to look after back home.

Post Impressionist for @WilliamHaggas working this morning at #CanterburyPark. pic.twitter.com/rj0kBodJ6I

— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) March 18, 2024

“We start on the grass again on Saturday in England and everyone is up for it.

“This weekend, I will have a runner at Doncaster but also have the one runner at Rosehill.”

Haggas has used Golden Slipper Day to launch his successful raids on The Championships in recent years.

The English maestro has already won two Manion Cups with Young Rascal (2020) and Favourite Moon (2021), plus two Group 1 Ranvet Stakes wins with Addeybb (2002) and Dubai Honour (2023).

Addeybb then won successive Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2020-21 and then Dubai Honour gave Haggas a third win in the feature Randwick weight-for-age race last year.

But Haggas admits he “hasn’t got the Sydney Cup right yet” after Young Rascal and Favourite Moon both ran unplaced at Randwick.

“Post Impressionist is a nice staying horse and the Sydney Cup is the plan,” Haggas said. “But we have got to get the horse into the race.

“We will look at the Rosehill race on Saturday and see whether we go there or wait for the Tancred Stakes next week.

“But the horse has done well since arriving in Sydney and we are leaning to running him on Saturday.”

The Rosehill track conditions are expected to be in the soft range on Saturday which is Post Impressionist’s preferred surface.

“The one thing about this horse is I always thought he wanted soft ground,” Haggas said.

“But at his last start he won a competitive race on fast ground in England so it doesn’t bother him. We won’t be using the track as an excuse on Saturday.”

Post Impressionist opened at $6 earlier in the week but is now a firm $3 favourite to make a winning Sydney debut on Saturday.

DUBAI HONOUR WINS THE G1 QUEEN ELIZABETH!

The battle we had all been waiting for, @WilliamHaggas and @TomMarquand have achieved the feat once again. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/t36Q3MWjZO

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 8, 2023

TAB Fixed Odds spokesman Tim Ryan said he isn’t surprised by the support for Post Impressionist given Haggas has such an outstanding record in Sydney.

“The punters love William Haggas and they want to be with him and Post Impressionist,” Ryan said.

“We opened Post Impressionist at $6 at the start of the week but then he came into $3.50.

“When the final fields came out on Wednesday, we put up $3.80 but the money has kept coming for the horse and he’s into $3 favouritism. He’s holding 60 per cent of the investment on the race.”

Post Impressionist, winner of three races from 13 starts in England over a distance up to 2816m, is the first horse Haggas has raced with Williams, the owner of a record seven Melbourne Cup winners.

“I haven’t met Lloyd but I’ve had a lot of email conversations with him,” Haggas said.

“He seems pretty sharp to me; he knows exactly what he is doing and talking about.”

Despite the success Haggas has had in Sydney in recent years, he is the only trainer to send a horse down under for the autumn carnival this year.

Haggas said the huge prizemoney in Sydney during autumn won’t necessarily attract more European participation.

“I don’t think there will be an influx of horses from England,” he said.

“The timing is difficult as we are coming into our season here and essentially if you run in Australia, it is pretty hard to get to Royal Ascot and most people back home are Ascot-minded.

“There is also racing going on in Saudi Arabia that has come out of nowhere, there are very valuable races in Qatar, and a hell of a card in Dubai this weekend.

“The travel to Sydney is not insurmountable like it was even a decade ago but there are so many alternatives for English trainers.”

ENGLISH MAESTRO HAGGAS SIDES WITH FAVOURITE IN GOLDEN SLIPPER

William Haggas has sided with Storm Boy in the $5 million TAB Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Haggas takes a keen interest in Australian racing from afar and didn’t need any prompting when asked for an opinion on the world’s richest juvenile race.

“Storm Boy has been very impressive in Brisbane (Magic Millions at Gold Coast) and he won easily in Sydney the other day,” Haggas said.

“I do think Switzerland is pretty good but it might be a bit short for him. Storm Boy looks the one in the Golden Slipper.”

What a horse he is! Storm Boy wins easily in the Skyline Stakes 👏

A @GaiWaterhouse1-Bott quinella! 💪@mcacajamezpic.twitter.com/xhivdKsLZp

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 2, 2024

Unbeaten Storm Boy, brilliant winner of his four starts, is the $2.10 favourite to win the Golden Slipper.

Storm Boy is by Coolmore’s sire sensation Justify, who retired to stud undefeated after winning the 2018 American Triple Crown of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

Justify is becoming a phenomenon at stud and is the sire of Ireland’s unbeaten City Of Troy, winner of his three starts by big margins as a two-year-old including England’s Dewhurst Stakes.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien believes the freakishly talented City Of Troy is good enough to win the English Triple Crown of the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St Leger – a treble last achieved by the legendary Nijinsky in 1970.

Haggas, who has trained many topliners himself including the outstanding Baaeed, is an admirer of City Of Troy and said the colt is the “real deal”.

“City Of Troy is as good as I’ve seen for a while,” Haggas said.

“What he did at two was great to watch and I don’t think anyone thought they got to the bottom of him at all.

“He’s a big, strong horse and the last furlong of every race he has run in has been his best.”

Originally published as Top English trainer William Haggas is chasing a third N.E. Manion Cup in five years with Post Impressionist